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IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum
Dania Beach, FL 33004 954-922-4212 The Catch Gallery is undoubtedly the most popular spot in the unique three-story, 60,000-square-foot fishing museum, off I-95 and Griffin Road in Sportsman's Park. But it's all pretty nifty, with 34 interactive kiosks, displays of antique rods and reels, life-size replicas of 173 fish species (all record catches) suspended from the ceiling, and enough exhibits to keep a child or adult entertained for half a day or better. The International Game Fish Association, official keeper of the world's sport fishing records, opened the $32 million facility. Above the main floor of the sprawling building is a 12,000-volume fishing library and historic archives. Outside is a full marina, plus a four-acre living wetlands, complete with native plant and animal life.
The Legacy Gallery pays tribute to such illustrious fishermen as novelists Zane Grey and Ernest Hemingway. Grey was the first to catch a 1,000-pound fish on rod and reel. Hemingway, author of The Old Man and the Sea, was co-founder of IGFA and its first vice president. The museum is the realization of a vision IGFA had since its inception in 1939. Michael Lerner, a sportsman and a field associate of the Museum of Natural History in New York City, founded the association to establish and promote ethical standards in the sport of game fishing and to sanction and track world record catches. Photo albums of the Lerners' worldwide fishing expeditions are part of the museum's archives. In the late 1950s, IGFA moved its headquarters from New York to South Florida.
(August 3, 2005)
Important: Hours, prices and other information can change frequently. Please call ahead to confirm information. |
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